Clearing Things Up. Part A.

Christians are not people who go to church on the weekends. Going to church is one thing that Christians do, but it doesn't make anyone a Christian. I was trying to think of an analogy to really paint this picture, and I think I have one:

Pat enrolls in a community education class on becoming a certified lifeguard. She finishes the class, but decides that she doesn't want to teach lifeguard classes because she's perfectly fine with her life as it is without commiting extra time at the local beach to be a lifeguard. Is Pat a lifeguard? Not really. She took a class on it, but if you were to ask Pat what she does, would it make sense for her to tell you that she's a lifeguard, when she's never ever used her knowledge in a real life lifeguarding situation -- when she doesn't?

Just because someone attends a class (church), or even makes a commitment to attending a class on a regular basis, doesn't make somebody something unless they apply/use what they learn (living a Christian life). Now like any analogy, this one isn't perfect. However, it's sad that many Christians and non-Christians identify Christians as people who just go to church. Church is an important part of the Christian life - it's where people go to learn, spend time with other Christians, and thank God for what he has given us -- but if people who go to church don't get out and live the kind of life that Jesus teaches us to live in the bible, it's like that person who takes the class, but does nothing with it -- you're shouldn't say you're a Christian -- just like Pat shouldn't say she's a lifeguard! And to be clear, it's not about "being good and doing nice things" -- another common misconception of the Christian definition that I'll probably blog about later -- it's about BEING a Christian and not DOING Christian traditions!